Mine car



NOV 2, 1937. EDMUNDS 2,097,966

MINE CAR Filed Sept. 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov 2, 1937. G. E. EDMUNDS MINE CAR Filed Sept. 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES MINE CAR Glenn E. Edmunds, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Bonney-Floyd Company, Columbus, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application September 17, 934, Serial'No. 744,448

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to wheel mount- I ing means, particularly for rail vehicles such as mine cars, the arrangement being such that the load is yieldingly supported and danger of accidental derailment due totrack unevenness eliminated.

Due to the particular applicability of the invention to mine cars, I have chosen to illustrate it so applied, although without limiting intent in this respect. The entire disclosure herein is merely illustrative of the invention and not restrictive.

In the accompanying drawings, V

Figure l is a bottom view of'a mine car with r the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, somewhat enlarged, of the central portion of the car of'Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section substantially on line 33 of Figure 2; a V

Figure 4 is a section substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section substantially on line 5--5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a section substantially on line 66 of Figure 4.. A V

Referring tothe drawings, the car structure comprises the main sills l and l l which, as. here shown, are in the form of Z-bars whose main. webs, are in substantially vertical planes, whose top flanges are outwardly directed and whose bottom flanges are inwardly directed and support the central depressed floor portion l2 which is riveted thereto. Bumpers as at l3, Figure 1, .are secured to the ends of the main sills and draft means, not shown, are also arranged in connection with themain sills. .Flare plates l4 and I5 are riveted to the upper flange of sill ID, the adjacent ends of these plates being substantially spaced apart to provide a wheel opening centrally of the car. The. outer edges of the flare plates have, secured thereto the horizontal flange of an angle bar to whose vertical flange is, secured the body side .wall l'l. The angle I6 servesnot only. to connect the flare platesand side wall, but also functions as anauxiliary sill. Flare plates, l8 and, IS, an angle'bar and a side wall 2! are. similarly arranged on the opposite side of the car and it will be understood that the various elements are suitably connected by end closure walls. a v

For a purpose which will hereinafter appear, the horizontaltop flange of the Z-bar I0 is cut away for a distance centrally of the car and the horizontal flange of the angle bar It is similarly discontinued. The same applies also to the top flange of the sill II and the horizontal flange of the angle bar 20. The opposed edges of the flare plates l4 and I5 are indicated at M and I5, Figure l, and the opposed edges of plates I8 and I9 are indicated at I8 and i9. In the openings existingbetween these edges are mounted flanged Wheels 22, 23 and 24, 25. The mounting means for wheels 24 and 25 will be described since these wheels are assumed shown in the detail views.

A wheel housing 26 has a top longitudinally curved wall and vertical side walls 21 and 28, from which depend outer and inner pedestals 29 and 30,each pedestal being provided with a downwardly o'penrecess. The wheel hood 26 has an end horizontal flange 3| which abuts the edge of flare plate 19 and is riveted to the top of the horizontal flange of angle bar 20 and to the top horizontal flange of the Z-bar II. The inner wall 28 of the wheel hood is inwardly oflset and provides a horizontal wall portion 32 in the plane of flange 3|. The inner pedestal is formed in a vertical web 33 which lies against the vertical web of the main sill l I and terminates short of the central transverse vertical plane of the car as most clearly appears in Figures 3 and 4. The top Wall'o f the housing 26 extends beyond. web 33 to terminate in a horizontal flange 34 at the plane just mentioned. A strip 34 is secured to the undersurface of flange 34 and projects somewhat therebeyond.

The outer'pedestal 29 is formed in a vertical web 35vwhich is somewhat inwardly ofiset from the outer wall Zlof the wheel hood and extends somewhat past the central transverse vertical plane'of the car and'has its extremity 35 somewhat outwardly offset,.Figure 3. At their other ends, .webs 33 and 35 have inturned portions 36 and 31 whose edges are spaced apart a distance greaterthanthe width of the wheel 25. In the pockets thus formed are arranged the upper spring centering bosses 36' and 31', the former being formed beneath wall portion 32 and" the latter'beinglormed beneath an inwardly projecting flange 39, which is. reinforced by a vertical gusset 40 between it and the top wall of the wheel hood. All of the elements described with the exception of strip 34' are preferably formed as an integral casting, preferably of steel. 1

The described .wheel hood and pedestal assembly fltsbetween wall 2| and the main sill H, the horizontal flange of the angle bar 20 and the top flange of the main sill being interrupted in order that the unit may be rec iv d. Wall 21 5 of the hood is securely riveted to the vertical flange of the angle bar 20 through wall 2I and is also riveted to the wall above the angle bar, as particularly shown in Figure 2. Wall 21 has extensions 21a and 21b whichlie inwardly of said vertical flange and are riveted thereto. Web 33 is riveted to the vertical web of sill I I.

A wheel hood 4!, similar to wheel hood 26 but reversed as to position, is positioned between the latter and the adjacent end of flare plate I8. The wheel hood 4! is similarly secured in position between side wall 2| and main sill I I and has a horizontal flange 42v abutting flange 34 of wheel hood 25 and lapping strap 34'. The inner vertical web 43 of the unit 4| extends past the central transverse vertical plane of the car into abutment with the end of web 33 of the other unit. The outer web 44 of the second unit is somewhat inwardly oiiset at its extremity adjacent hood 26 so as to lie behind and against extremity of Web 35. These overlapping ends, the end of webt43 and the main sill II are provided with aligned apertures through which is passed, from the inside of the car, a bolt 45, the axis of the bolt lying in the central transverse vertical plane of the car.

' A yokeor lever 46 comprises a pair of parallel arms 4? and 48 terminating at one end in spaced bosses 49 and 59 which are pierced to receive bolt 45. The arms and bosses are joined intoa rigid unit by means of an integral connecting formation iii. A yoke 52 comprises parallel arms 53 and 54 rigidly joined by means of an integral connecting formation 55 with a barrel portion 56 which lies between bosses or barrel portions 49 and 56 of the yoke 46 and receives bolt 45. The barrel portions which are of less length than the width of their respective yokes form with the bolt a hinge joint enabling the yokes to swing in the same vertical planes.

Arms 53 and 54 extend past the inner and outer pedestal portions 29 and 30 and their extremities are downwardlyrreduced and formed as spring seats 5'? and 58 provided with centering: bosses beneath bosses 36' and 31', respectively, compression springs 59 and 60 being associated with the opposed bosses. Arm 53 is provided with an inwardly projecting boss 6| with an external shape substantially as shown in Figure 4 and projecting within the recess of the pedestal 35. Opposite boss 6|, the arm 54 has an inwardly thickened portion 62 and an outwardly projecting. boss 63 which is positioned in the recess of the outer pedestal. The boss 6| is provided with a hexagonal opening in which is received one end of a stub axle 54, the other end of the axle being received in a hexagonal recess formed in the boss 63. The outer end of the latter recess is blocked by a wall 65 which is provided with a knock-out opening. The top walls of the two boss portions are provided with undercut recesses in which are received the rubber pads 66 and 61.

, In assembly, after the yokes have been mounted on bolt 45, axle 64 is inserted to position through the opening in boss 5!, and after the springs 59 and 60 have been positioned, the yoke 52 is swung upwardly so that the axle is retained in position by the adjacent face of sill I I and wall 65. With the yoke in this position, pins 68 and 69 are inserted across the pedestal recesses beneath the bosses so that movementof the latter out of the recesses is prevented. Axle 64 has mountedthereon a sleeve between the sleeve and the wheel element are in- .teroosed antifriction bearings.

The wheel 25 finds thrust surfaces in the contiguous portions of the arms. The Web 33 is provided with inwardly projecting vertical ribs 10 and II which serve to guide the arm 53. Arm 54 is provided on its outer face with ribs I2 and I3 which cooperate with the inner face of web 35. The arms of the yoke are thus backed up against lateral distortion.

Yoke 46 supports wheel 24 in a manner similar to that just described and has the compression springs I4 and I5 interposed between the outer extremities of its arms and the associated hood structure.

It will be seen from the above that, according to the preferred form of the invention illustrated, both wheels at one side of the car are mounted in spring-influenced yokes which have a common axis of oscillation, the pedestal recesses being so shaped relative to the axle receiving bosses of the yokes as to permit such oscillation. The sides It will be understood that the wheels 22 and 23 are mounted in the same manner as wheels 24 and 25. InFigure 1, distinct right and left hand units are shown but it will be understood that the tandem mounting particularly described with reference to. wheels 24 and 25 can simply be reversed and applied to the other side of the car.

In Figure 2, the car is assumed to be unloaded and the springs are somewhat compressed. In Figure 5, the parts are shown under normal load conditions wherein there is still some space between the cushioning pads and the tops of the pedestal recesses. Under heavier load conditions, the tops of the pedestal recesses may rest directly on the cushioning pads which, under all conditions, prevent metal to metal contact and serve to equalize the periodical vibration or oscillation of the car body caused by uneven track.

The pads, abutting the cooperating surfaces at the tops of the pedestal recesses, limit .relative movement of the car body and the yokes and prevent undue compressive effects in the springs. Under some conditions the pads may be replaced by other cushioning means such as springs auxiliaryto the main springs. The pads, however, are cheaply and readily installed and are ordinarily preferredv for this reason.

While I have shown two separate wheel housing and pedestal units at each side of the car, these associated units may be formed as a single casting if desired. Onthe other hand, the parts herein referred to as integral castings may be assembled from. fabricated parts, although the preferred construction is that shown. Further, while a relatively narrow car is shown in the drawings, a wider car could be secured by providing the wheel housing and pedestal units with lateral extensions somewhat in the manner disclosed in my prior patent, No. 1,678,563, issued July 24, 1928.

It will be seen that each wheel is independently movable and always in the same vertical plane, the general principles of operation being the same as those disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 552,000, filed July 20, 1931, issued September 18, 1934, as Patent No. 1,974,018.

, While I have shown and described a preferred form of. construction for the purposes of disclo sure herein, it will be understood that variations in details and arrangement may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a car comprising a pair of wheels in tandem relation at one side of the car, a main sill and an outer side frame between which the wheels are disposed, a bolt extending between said sill and frame between the wheels, a pair of yokes having adjacent ends providing barrel portions less in length than the width of the yokes pivoted on said bolt, said yokes extending in the same vertical planes in opposite directions from the bolt, axles mounted in the yokes at their outer portions, the Wheels being mounted on said axles, and yieldable weight transmitting means between the outer portions of the yokes and the car structure, the wheels and mounting means being duplicated at the other side of the car.

2. In a car comprising a base structure including main sills in the form of Z-bars with outwardly turned top horizontal flanges and auxiliary sills outwardly of the main sills with inwardly turned bottom horizontal flanges, integral wheel housing and pedestal units disposed respectively between the main sills and the auxiliary sills and secured to the same, said flanges being interrupted at the housing to provide clearance therefor.

3. In a car comprising a floor structure providing transversely spaced wheel openings, a pair of integral wheel housing and pedestal units in each of said openings, the units in each opening having horizontal bearing portions, a bolt supported by said bearing portions, wheel mounting yokes pivoted on said bolt and extending in opposite directions therefrom, and yieldable Weight transmitting means between the outer portions of the yokes and the associated units.

4. In a car comprising a floor structure providing transversely spaced wheel openings, a pair of integral wheel housing and pedestal units in each of said openings, a bolt mounted between the units at one side of the car, yokes pivotally mounted on said bolt and extending in opposite directions therefrom, wheels mounted in the yokes in tandem relation, and yieldable weight transmitting means between the outer portions of the yokes and the ends of said units.

5. In a car comprising a lading body, a pair of horizontal pivot bolts secured in connection with the body, said bolts being aligned transversely of the car substantially midway between the ends of the car and being similarly spaced from the longitudinal center line of the car, a pair of arms pivoted to each of said bolts and forming a hinge joint therewith, the arms of each pair extending toward the opposite ends of the car in the same vertical planes, wheeled stub axles mounted on the arms, and yieldable weight transmitting means between the car structure and the respective arms remote from the pivot bolts.

6. In a car, a base structure, wheel mounting means comprising a yoke having parallel portions provided with opposite openings for the operative reception of a wheeled stub axle, a removable bolt by which said yoke is pivoted to the base structure on a horizontal axis, cushion means interposed between said yoke and the base structure whereby the latter is sprung, a removable abutment on said base structure limiting movement of said yoke and base structure apart, one of said openings being a through opening through which the axle is insertable to and removable from operative position, the base structure including a portion blocking the outer end of said through opening in the normal operative positions of the yoke and base structure but freeing said through opening when upon removal of said abutment the yoke and base structure are moved an abnormal position apart, the insertion or removal of the axle through said through opening being then permitted, the yoke including an integral portion blocking the outer end of the other of said openings.

GLENN E. EDMUNDS. 

